Playing the Deity
by squeakyfingers
Summary: Hiatus. Sequel to 'A Season of Change'. As Grissom and Catherine's relationship progresses, a series of strange events lead the whole team into danger. GCR.


Playing the Deity  
  
By: Allison and Manda  
  
Disclaimer: We do not own CSI or it's characters. We just like to take them out and give them some air.  
  
Archive: The Graveyard, Catherine Willows, and Beautiful Addictions  
  
Rated: R   
  
A/N: Part three of the 'My Thanksgiving' series. If you haven't read the first two stories, 'My Thanksgiving' and 'Season of Change', it'd be a good idea to do that before reading this, as future chapters will mention/explain the events in those two fics.  
  
Allison's thank you's: To Angie, for betaing this chapter. To all the reviewers who wanted to see this series continued-this one's for you guys. And to Manda, my co-author, for all the work she's put into this with me, and for all the help she's given helping me create the vision I had in mind for this fic, and the rest of this series.  
  
Summary: As Grissom and Catherine's relationship progresses, a series of strange events leads the whole team into danger.  
  
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Chapter One: Memories of Fear  
  
"Have I ever told you the story of when Lindsey was four, and I lost her in the supermarket?" Catherine asked, snuggling closer to Grissom, her body chilled despite the heat that was slowly enveloping the new day outside the window of her home.  
  
"No, but, I'm sure you're going too... at this ungodly hour of ten a.m." he replied, hesitating slightly before continuing. "Apparently we're not going to sleep, on our first day off together in over a month, are we?"  
  
Shifting her body, Catherine maneuvered until she was facing him, and propped herself up on her elbows. Strands of red-blonde hair cascaded over her face, glinting in the morning light, and partially hiding her clear blue eyes. Grissom couldn't help but smile as he reached to tuck the strands of soft hair behind her ears. Irritation was written all over her porcelain features, fire dancing within her wide, soulful irises. He wondered if she realized how beautiful she looked when she was frustrated, or how he, on occasion, went out of his way to push her buttons so that he could see her light up like that.   
  
"Well, boss-man, you do make the schedule... it's not my fault we don't get days off together. If it were my way we'd..."  
  
"Never sleep?"   
  
Catherine narrowed her eyes in annoyance.  
  
"You finished?"   
  
"For now."   
  
In a flash, her expression changed from fuming to mischievous. And just as quickly, her hands were underneath the sheets, massaging his thighs. Using one hand to brace herself, Catherine hoisted herself up, and over his body until her lips were mere millimeters away from his. Grissom squirmed a little as Cath came down hard on his lips, exploring his mouth with her tongue as her free hand stroked his shaft through the thin pair of boxers that he was wearing.  
  
"Cath..." he mumbled when she threw aside the covers and moved her exploration to the area just above the waistband of his boxers, running her tongue expertly around his naval. He felt the heat rise in him, the muscles in his body tightening as she continued to toy with him. "Okay, okay. You've got my attention...please..."  
  
Throwing her head back, she giggled childishly, full of delight. "More of this later, if you're good."  
  
"You're baiting me with sex...so you can talk about Lindsey, in bed. Isn't there a law against this?"  
  
"Not since the last time I checked." Her grin became wider as she lay back down, nestling once again into his arms, safe and secure; resting her head on his chest as he entwined his fingers in her hair.  
  
Lying silent for a moment, Catherine closed her eyes, listening to the steady beat of Grissom's heart, the man whom she loved with her entire being. The man she'd almost lost to her own foolish pride. The man, whom, almost daily, saved her from herself. She wasn't sure how she had gotten so lucky.  
  
"Hey, hey. No falling asleep on me, baby." Grissom quipped, breaking the growing silence in the room.  
  
"It was a Saturday. Lindsey was four, and I had just come from picking her up at a friend's house. I remember being angry, because Brass had asked me to come in to work that night, on my night off, since we were shorthanded. Since Eddie, man that he was, could barely use a spatula, let alone cook; I thought I would pick something up easy for him to fix Linds for dinner. Anyway-I was holding Lindsey's hand with my right, and the grocery basket in my left. I let go of her for maybe five seconds, ten tops; to pick up a box of spaghetti noodles, and when I turned back around, she was gone. Just up and disappeared on me."   
  
"They say every mother loses their kid in a mall, or a supermarket, at least once, Cath."   
  
"Thank God it wasn't in a mall. I nearly had a heart attack right there in the store. Spent a good twenty minutes searching for her. The whole time I kept wondering what would happen if I couldn't find her," Catherine sighed as she recalled the memory.  
  
"I know, Cath, baby, I know."  
  
"That same fear, came back last year... I almost lost her again. Talking to her on the phone like that, that feeling that I'd be completely lost without her. She was all I had."  
  
Gil nodded in understanding. Cath had Lindsey, and Lindsey alone. Up until recently, things had always been that way... even before her and Eddie divorced.  
  
"You aren't the only one who's felt that way before," he responded, kissing her softly on the forehead. Unconsciously, he pulled her closer, and he felt her grip him a bit tighter, both knowing what he meant.  
  
"I'm just saying, that, lying here, with you, thinking about that time in the supermarket made me realize something, about us."  
  
"Yea?"   
  
"Mmhhmm...That I've felt that fear for you too. That I wouldn't know what to do if you weren't here, how lost I am without you. And I can't believe I almost let it all slip through my grasp." Her voice wavered a bit, eyes glazed over with emotion.  
  
"Oh Cath...baby, com'ere."   
  
Gil took his free arm and wrapped it around her slender frame. "I screwed up too, we both did. Nothing we can change about it now."  
  
"I know. I guess it just feels like during my leave, I lost out on this big part of my life; realized what I had been missing so late, that now I'm just scared what'll happen if I have to let it go."  
  
"You won't. I promise."  
  
"You swear on your tarantula, bugman?" she asked, her tone a bit more playful.  
  
"I swear."   
  
Gil's face was solemn as he spoke the words. Minutes seemed to pass by as he waited for her reaction. Nothing. Sighing heavily, he wondered if she had fallen asleep. He could hear her faint even breathing, and looking downward confirmed his theory. It was almost funny, he had started out complaining about her keeping him up, and she had been the one to fall asleep first.  
  
"Figures, makes me a promise she just can't keep." Settling deeper into the pillows, he smiled at the blonde beauty next to him. God she was beautiful when she slept; so incredibly perfect. He almost couldn't close his eyes, he was sure he could have stared at her for hours.  
  
"Night Cath," he whispered in her ear before closing his eyes.  
  
"That's what you think..." a husky voice replied.  
  
"I thought you were...asleep." He gasped as she rolled over until she was on top of him.  
  
"I never...ever break my promises." She was straddling his hips, her hands expertly moving up and down his body.  
  
"One of the reasons I love you." Grissom reached up and pulled her down towards him, until they were chest to chest. "Do you know how perfect you are?"  
  
"Shut up and kiss me, bugman."  
  
His lips were on hers in seconds, limbs intertwining as he deepened the kiss. His tongue navigated her mouth, going over every crevice, before he broke contact and moved down to pepper kisses on her breasts.  
  
In the background, the phone was ringing.   
  
"That could be important."  
  
"Let the machine get it." Catherine mumbled, the fire building inside of her, unwilling to break contact with her lover.  
  
Grissom ignored it and continued.  
  
The machine picked up.  
  
"Catherine...Catherine, pick up!" The voice of homicide detective Jim Brass boomed throughout the room.  
  
"I told you it might be important."  
  
Catherine glared at him before moving to pick it up. "This better be damn good Jim," she growled into the receiver.  
  
"Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed." The older man quipped.  
  
"It's my night off, boyo, spare me the theatrics."  
  
"We've got a hot one, blood spatter...bugs, the works. Seeing as we're swamped, and you are blood girl..."  
  
"I'm not on call."  
  
"Hey if it were me, I'd let you sleep," Brass replied defensively, " but this came from the higher ups... high profile... our dear sheriff Mobley wants you here."  
  
Catherine narrowed her eyes, "Fine. Give me an hour."  
  
"While you're at it, tell Grissom to get his ass up and get here too." Brass chuckled. "So sorry to have ruined your guys' fun."  
  
"How did you...?"  
  
"Elementary, my dear Watson. Elementary...Tropicana, Catherine...you have one hour. Don't be late. Or I'll have to take drastic measures."  
  
Catherine just sighed, and clicked the end button on her cordless phone.  
  
So much for never breaking promises.  
  
TBC. 


End file.
